Saturday, July 06, 2013

Time to Piece a Piece of Paper at Di's Digi Stamps

Well, as the title of the post suggests, the new challenge kicking off at Di's Digis Challenge Blog today is "Paper Piecing"I've had very little time to craft but (rather wisely I think) used my DT commitment to make a card for my Mother In Law, whose birthday is tomorrow (Happy 85th, Norma!)

I've made yet another of those "cut away" cards I'm favouring at the moment, using acetate as the bulk of the card front. I love the way you get to decorate the inside and outside of the card with basically one lot of paper, all you have to do is make sure anything on the inside lines up well with the outside.I used the Sweet Sketch Wednesday Sketch this time, love a good sketch and this one lent itself to my acetate idea.The adorable image I've used is Spring Bonnet, available at Di's Digi Stamps. My Mums Craft Shop has Just for Girls as their challenge theme, so I'm entering there, Hobbycutz has Beginning with H (Hedgehog) and Delightful Sketches has Include a Critter (again, the hedgehog), so I'm entering there too.

I used floral paper from Bearly Mine Designs, the Spring Blossoms set - I scaled the paper down to suit the scale of the image (I love digis!) I made the areas of the image that are "dress" transparent (easily done in Photoshop) then placed a cropped down version of the image on a small square of the scaled-down digi paper; then I only had to cut around the outside of the dress and bow all in one piece - not having to cut the tiny fiddly bits around the bow was a real bonus... like I said, I love digis :-) Allsorts Challenge wants us to use our Favourite Things, (digis and Copics) so I'm entering there.The apron is also digi paper, I scaled down (in Word, simple) one of the stripy papers from Nitwit Collections Romance and Roses set, then added the bonnet to a small piece of the paper, twisted a copy of the same square a little and added the cropped image of the apron to it to to have the stripes going more naturally down the apron. Print (all on one piece of paper I might add, including the "blank" image) and a little trimming = DONE! I added some shadows to the paper pieced parts and coloured the rest of the image with Copics. Cutie Pie Challenge this time around is also Paper Piecing, so I'm entering there.

The image mat (and the mat for the jotting panel inside, come to that) are Nestabilities Fleur De Lis Rectangles. The pink matting is Kaisercraft and the sentiment is one of Craftworks Cards Oval sentiments cut down, Aud Sentiments has "Two Words" as their challenge, with extra Brownie points for not using Happy Birthday, which I didn't (close, but still, I didn't!)The flowers were cream (until I Copic-ed them, lol) and the sparkly centres are self adhesive cachous from Kaiser, I think. Clear It Out has Theme: Make Someone's Day, Stash: Sparkly, so I'm entering there, and Pile It On has Bling so I'm in there too. The pearls are also from my stash.

That's about it for my card, pop on over to the challenge blog and check out the rest of the team's inspiration - I'm sure you'll love it. Hope you get a chance to enter the challenge too, why not try going digi as I did - it really isn't hard - easier than stamping if you ask me :-) We've got a great prize on offer too, bonus!

Speaking of bonuses, my son Matt came home from hospital today - he was scheduled for a skin graft to cover the amputation site but the Plastics Team (really, that's their title!) decided to leave it to heal itself - it's pretty gruesome to look at at this point but my nurse friend Jenny (who knows about such things, lol) assures me that it is a "good" wound with great potential for healing and skin grafts bring their own set of issues.

He still has to be immobile with his leg elevated (on a James Leg Elevator, which is a large wedge nearly 3 feet long and about 18 inches high that we couldn't hire to bring home, so bought for him at a cost of $275!!!) As he has to sit and sleep like that for the next seven weeks, we figured it was money well spent, but seriously, it's a bit of vinyl-covered foam, $275??!

We're sorting out a wheelchair for him tomorrow. He is so glad to BE home with his wife and his babies and we're so glad to have him back at his home, close to us and easy for us to get to to help out personally or with the babies. We really feel he's on the road to recovery now, we know it won't be easy and there's a lot of rehab to come but he's come a long way from a few weeks ago too. Suffice to say it's been a difficult four weeks, but the next seven look infinitely easier, at least from here!

I might even get a bit more crafting time, though now it's end-of-the-financial-year time so I may have to spend a bit of time sorting the businesses out (they've been a bit neglected while Matt has been incapacitated and we busy)

34 comments:

What a fabulous card! Love the acetate front and really admire your skill at lining-up the front and inside! Great news about Matt - I'm sure that everything will get better from now on and he'll be so much happier being at home with his family. I think you and your hubby have been amazing throughout all this - good on you, girl! Hugs, Tracey xx

Gorgeous card Donna love it somuch detail So sorry to hear about your son I do hope his recovery is quick and as pain free as can be sounds nasty I think it's disgusting you have had to pay such an amount for something so basic you would have thouhgt they would have loaned you one anyway best wishes to you all

Beautiful card Donna. I'm going to have to give this style a try...looks so pretty. Love the image with your wonderful paper piecing.

Great news that Matt is coming home today and I'm so happy to hear things are turning around for the better. Doing a bit of catchup here.....love the pictures of the twins....they are so precious. big hugs, Pat K x

Your card is gorgeous Donna. I love the sweet image and your paper piecing looks fabulous and the card design using the acetate is wonderful.I am pleased to hear that you son is back at home now and seems to be making a good recovery, thank goodness.Take care, sending you hugsSue xx

Your card is stunning..I love every little detail of your gorgeous card. I am so glad to hear your son is home.. And, really sorry to hear about his news. I will keep him and your family in my prayers. Hugs, Nancy

What a journey y'all have been on, but glad the light is beginning to shine for everyone and home is often the best healing place there is!!I just love how you've used the acetate in your design...I might have to give that a try. The card overall is just so lovely and I'm sure Norma will just adore it.

Wow this is just breathtaking!!! i love the acetate bit soo clever, i cant put inot words how awesome this is i love it!!! ThankyouBig hugs Di xxxp.s i am so glad Matthew is on the road to recovery, how awful to have to go through all that while missing out on his babes, by the way they are toooooo cute! sending very warm wishes xxxxxxxx

Hi Donna, I've just been having a read of your blog. If it doesn't rain it pours. You've been so busy and I'm so sorry to hear about your son. You don't really realise how much you need your toes to walk and your balance until you have a problem with them. I'm so glad that he's now home nothing worse that having to go to the hospital visiting, travelling and the traffic and on top of that new baby twins. It all gets very tiring sometimes you wonder where you get all that extra energy from to keep you going. Have another glass of wine LOL. Wishing your son all the very best in his recovery. Your card is totally amazing I love everything about it your colours are stunning and so are your embellishments. I bet your mother in law loved it???Take care your in my thoughts and thanks for crafting a wonderful card and sharing it with us over at Sweet Sketch Wednesday when your so busy and good luck.HugsKathie SSW-DT from New Zealand

This is an incredible card Donna. I love the design with the acetate and will have to try that. The paper pieced image is wonderfully done. So happy to have you join us this week at Sweet Sketch Wednesday!Sharon, SSW-DT

Very pretty. Love the paper piecing. Thanks for linking up with us this week! We appreciate you sharing your creativity with us in ourJuly “Anything Goes” challenge at Catch The Bug! We appreciate you! ~~Sammibug~~ DT Member For Bugaboo Stamps

About Dee

My name is Donna.
I live in Western Australia and have been happily married since 1978.
I have two adult sons, one married, and twin grandchildren born in March 2013.
I love Craft and Creating and thought I'd share some of my "stuff" - hope you enjoy!